Sight of the Rain
by Alone-by-the-Waterlilies
Summary: 7 Birthdays. Another coming. A story is told of a Hyuuga and a weapon mistress. Life takes different paths, as does this tale.


Disclaimer: I don't own.

I know.

I know I know.

This plot is not original.

There are hundreds of them.

But I just had to write this.

No more then 5 chapters. I promise.

I NEEDED a break from action and humor, so this came.

Here you go.

(Basically, it's like the scenarios on Neji's birthday, with ALTERNATE ENDINGS!! WOOT!!)

--Sight of the rain--

_.: My first birthday with you:._

_.:13:._

Tenten carried the small red box down a small paved path. She looked at the box, and as he felt a pang of fear. She's a strong kunoichi, so it doesn't count as fear as much as worry, like 'Will he like it? Will he think I'm weird?' But it was a bit too late for that. She walked over to their team's training grounds, to find Neji there alone. Not that that wasn't normal, as Lee was normally late, along with Gai-sensei. As she saw Neji, she smiled, and waved to him. "Hi Neji!"

"Hn."

"I got you something!"

"Hn."

Tenten twitched. She hated that. He never gave a straight answer. "It's for your birthday!"

"…Hn"

She sighed. Maybe it was for the best. Or maybe….fate hated her. That's it. "Can you open it at the least?" Neji paused, and poked hesitantly at the red box. '_Does he think it's a trap or something?_' He pulled off the ribbon, and took out what was inside. It was a fang of some sort of carnivorous animal attached to a silver leather cord. She waited for his response eagerly.

"……..why?" Neji asked.

She stopped. She expected more of an 'I hate it, I never want to see you again, you are weak', but not this. "……..well….it's because we're teammates, and this can build strength and trust………..and…well, don't act surprised, I'll give one to Lee as well…"

Neji put the cord back into the box, and slipped it into his back pocket. He then glanced at her. "Training. Now."

_-She never did see him wear it-_

_.:I'm not surprised:._

_.:14:._

She panted. They had taken a break during training. While she was already low on chakra and stamina, and also nearly on her knees from training for almost 5 hours, he still had that almighty aura around him, and was barely in a sweat.

Damn bastard.

But still….she had to give him it sometime and now was the best before she went home…..

She reached into her pack, and pulled out a water bottle, and drained its contents.

Then she reached in again, and pulled out an orange box, and threw it at his face. As usual, he caught it. He looked at the box, raising an eyebrow.

"You know the reason very well Neji, so you might as well open it." Tenten said as she nibbled at her lunch.

Neji opened the box to find five shuriken, all equally balanced and unique. He took each of them out and examined them individually.

He put them back into the box, and declared training done.

"...why?" Tenten asked. He was pretty much in LOVE with training, so why would he say training was done?

"Hiashi is calling a meeting in a hour." he stated, as he turned and left.

"...you're welcome..." Tenten muttered as she went home.

X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O

She stared at the offending object that was lying in front of her door. It was a flower, a lily to be precise. It was white with a red center. It wasn't a bouquet, since it was only one flower. She had just been informed she was to be a chunnin, so was this a congratulation? Whatever it was, she brought it inside, and put it in some water.

Also, whoever gave it to her, it inspired Tenten's chunnin outfit

_-She never saw him use them, even though she nearly burned off her fingers making them-_

_.: Why did you care that time?:._

_.:15:._

The day would have gone normally, only IF he just didn't have to wonder THAT time...not any other time, it just HAD to be now...

"...you didn't bring anything yesterday..." He stated before training started.

"Huh? Oh...I was going to give you something...but...someone pushed me, and it fell into the lake on my way...but I'll get you something tomorrow, I just haven't had time to get the ingredients..."

"Fine. I expect a compensation gift tomorrow when we start training. You may go now." He turned and started hitting the dummy that Lee normally used.

"….what?" Tenten asked in amazement.

"I do not like repeating myself Tenten. You heard me, go make the compensation gift."

"….yes sir…." Tenten said sarcastically as she walked off back to her house.

X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O

"Let's see…." Tenten muttered to herself as she started another attempt at Neji's gift. She was around attempt twenty, due to too much salt, sugar, et cetera….

As you can tell, she wasn't really a good baker.

X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O

Tenten carried the finally finished cake, in a pale yellow box, to the training grounds. It was small, marble flavor, (aka vanilla and chocolate swirl, making it THAT much harder) will a small amount of glaze on top, with icing saying 'Happy B-day Neji'.

"Done!" she said, putting the cake under his nose.

"……..but not on time," he stated blandly.

"Oh well Neji, learn to lighten up, and eat it!"

He took the fork (already there) and nibbled on a little bit, before putting it back on the box, and carrying it off towards the Hyuuga grounds.

"…………..your nice……..bastard….I'm going to kill you someday……" Tenten sighed, as she started practicing on the poor dummies that lay on the training grounds.

_-She saw the seagulls looking a bit fatter, and covered in icing later that day-_

_.:I didn't insist I tell you!:._

_.:16:._

How hard is it to throw a party? Normally, not very hard. But that's under normal conditions, not when it's for Neji.

Yup, that's right, it's for Neji. The remaining of the Konoha 12 decided to throw a surprise party for Neji at Lee's place. Problem: no one really knows how Neji works, not even Hinata. All that was left was Tenten. It was HER job to arrange the party. They would cover everything else.

No she did not insist on planning it, or yelling (the loud noises were purely good willed.)

She had streamers, balloons, party hats, nearly everything, and it wouldn't make Neji leave within 2 seconds of stepping in.

The day of the party was going well. He was slightly surprised by Neji standards, and Naruto and Kiba had not spiked the drinks (the traps Tenten had set up near the drinks had helped). Lee had not ranted about youth, and now it was near the end of the party, at about 11 pm. Neji had spent most of the party near the far end, away from the excitement. Tenten went over to him, with a forest green bag in hand.

"So Neji, how do you like the party?"  
"It's fine…"

"Well, everyone else has given you a gift, so it's my turn." She handed him the bag. He took the bag, and took out the tissue paper, leaving a scroll in the bag. He took it out, and shot her a glance.

"It's a jutsu. Just an old thing I found lying around. I hope it's useful."

He nodded, and walked out the door. No one noticed but Tenten. She sighed and threw a kunai at Kiba, who was trying to add strong alcohol to the diminishing food.

_-She never saw him use it in battle, no matter the situation-_

_.:Were you happy?:._

_.:17:._

The Hyuuga clan set up a party especially for Neji. It was extravagant (as only a Hyuuga party can) and top of the line everything. Of the Konoha 12, only Lee and Tenten were specifically invited. All other Hyuugas were there, of course. The party was known to be 'sophisticated, lovely, and overall, successful'………..except for the fact that the birthday boy wasn't there.

Tenten was looking for him all around the Hyuuga buildings, and then decided to check outside. She found him outside sitting on a tree. She called him down.

"Neji! What are you doing there?"

"….."

"Well… can you come down? I have something to give you!" Neji jumped off the tree and landed in front of her. She pulled out a long object wrapped in navy blue paper. She glanced at his face to see an emotion. She saw none. He unwrapped it. It was a katana, steel with swirls of other metals, the guard hand carved, and the hilt covered in leather. There were small engravings on the katana, of birds and dragons. He took a practice swing. There was still no emotion.

He finally spoke. "You should be going. You have to wake up early for the Jounin exams you're taking tomorrow."

Tenten was startled. "How do-"

"Go."

"…..well, it's great that you won't stop me."

_-She never saw him use it, training or fighting-_

_.:Just like first time:._

_.:18:._

She deflected the kunai he threw with her own, and opened up her scroll for her signature technique, but he appeared behind, and knocked out 2 of her chakra points. She gasped, as he knocked out more, and as she fell towards the ground. She tried twisting herself to land properly, and succeeded…..halfway; she landed on her butt.

"Ah!" she cried. Neji called a halt for the day, and unsealed the chakra points. She walked over to under the shade, and scowled slightly. Even though she had failed the Jounin exams, she could do better than this! She started twirling a kunai out of habit around her finger. She glanced up, and felt the harsh sun beating down on her, even from under the shade of the tree. She couldn't help but look over at Neji. He was sitting under the tree, in a lotus position. She took her kunai, and reached into her bag's secret compartment. She pulled out a small indigo box wrapped in string, and carefully tied it onto the hole of the back of the kunai. She threw it at an area above his head, and it landed with a successful _thwack_ a centimeter above his head. He didn't even flinch, but he pulled out the kunai and examined the small box about the size of his fist. He untied the string, and dropped the contents into his other hand.

It was a silver bird that seemed to be flying, attached to a sturdy chain. Nothing less, nothing more. He slipped it into his robes, and called to her.

"We need to work on your defense when in the air, or you won't pass the exams."

She scowled, and drudged along to where he was to continue training.

_-She never had seen him use anything she gave him anyway-_

_.:It was coming, I knew it:._

_.:19:._

She scanned the contents of her apartment as a last check. Nothing. She figured it was worth it. She grabbed her pack, tied on her headband, and walked over to the NEW training ground for Jounin only (it really didn't matter, but to tell the truth, the reason they were using the new one was because the old one had to go under repairs after nearly 8 years of continuous use by a _certain_ team Gai), and went to meet Neji. She gave herself a smile as she remembered how she had won against Sakura in that last round of the Jounin exams, and passed.

She glanced at Neji a few meters away. He had changed his attire when he became part of the Anbu, and now both the sleeves and pants were shorter, with metal shin pads and elbow pads, but even from that far away, she could see the outline of the traditional Anbu tattoo on his right arm. She called out to him, and he glanced over. He ran over, signaling that their spar had begun.

X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O-X-O

It was late evening when they ended their spar. The moon was out, and the stars shining.

'_Wow, even a full moon, how great for me,'_ Tenten thought bitterly in her head as she scowled. She turned to Neji, who was grabbing his bag and getting ready to leave. She walked over, and stood in front of him as he got up. He looked at her from his almighty 4 inch advantage he had over her, and glanced down with those eyes. Those icy lavender eyes, not like Hinata's which were warmer, softer, and seemed to have a purpler tinge.

Tenten took in a deep breath and asked the question that was on her mind since about a week ago. "What do you want for your birthday?"

Neji paused. "Isn't it a bit late?"

"Just answer the question."

Neji paused, and then responded. "For you to stop giving me these ridiculous presents," he said bluntly as he turned away.

"…..hai." she said, as she turned away and walked home.

_-What is this feeling?-_

--

OK! There's going to be 2 endings! SO there's going to be an angsty one, then a happy….one, yeah.

Thanks for reading, it means a lot!

Lol, I know it sucks!!


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